NEWS
RELEASEOctober 5, 2005

The Mission College catering manager heard from his brother-in-law, a
battalion chief in Pascagoula, Mississippi. It was a plea for help.

He said everyone
(in the family) was alive but they needed help, outside help, because
the area was devastated, Avicola recalled in a recent interview.

Avicola,
at damaged bridge across from Biloxi.

Avicola counts 11 relatives
in the New Orleans area, and the neighboring Mississippi communities of
Pascagoula and Gautier (both just east of Biloxi). Among them are his sister,
her husband, and several nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.

Out of his own
pocket and from private donations, Avicola recently filled two trucks with
supplies, food and building materials. In mid-September, two weeks after
Katrina had hit, Avicola headed east to deliver the goods. Hed seen
the news coverage, and so he braced himself  but nothing could prepare
him for viewing the damage firsthand.

My heart just sank, he said The whole area was destroyed.
It was a place where I had looked forward to retiring because of the beauty
and comfort of being next to the water. The only thing to look forward to
now is a big clean-up.

Avicola personally lost two homes, one in Pascagoula and the other in Ocean
Springs. What matters most, he said, is that no relatives were seriously
hurt. Working as a team, the relatives cleaned and repaired the two most
habitable family homes where all are living for the time being.

Avicola, his brother-in-law (the battalion chief), and a few others then
set about helping others in the community.

Wed drive
down the street and people would run out to us yelling, Help us,
please help us. It would break your heart, he said. I
wish that wed had a crew of 50 or 100 people with us because we
just didnt have the time and manpower to help everyone.

Instead, Avicolas team would help the most needy: the elderly, single
moms, and people who couldnt get into their homes because of tree
damage, debris, or flattened roofs.

Wed tell
them, Hey, we can donate four hours or so to help you,
he recalled. And pretty much, in most cases, we got more than we
bargained for. In four hours, you can take out the furniture and carpeting,
tear out the soggy drywall and insulation, and help them spray the mold
with bleach. Basically, wed get the drying out process
started for them.

After seeing and experiencing all of that, Avicola was convinced his help
is still needed. Hes planning a second trip to the region later
this month to deliver yet another truckload of supplies.